2022 is a crucial year for consolidating and expanding the achievements of poverty alleviation and the effective connection of rural revitalization.
The "Government Work Report" reviewed and approved by the Fifth Session of the Thirteenth National People's Congress proposed to vigorously grasp agricultural production and promote the overall revitalization of the countryside.
International people interviewed by this reporter said that China won the tough battle against poverty, built a moderately prosperous society in an all-round way, solved the problem of absolute poverty historically, and laid a solid foundation for promoting common prosperity.
China continues to consolidate the achievements in poverty alleviation and comprehensively promote rural revitalization, which fully demonstrates the people-centered development philosophy.
"Further release the vitality of rural development"
Spanish Communist Party Chairman Jose Luis Centella has visited China many times and witnessed the rapid changes in China's rural areas.
In 2018, he visited Xiaogang Village, Fengyang County, Anhui Province. The village's well-connected roads, good living environment, new types of agricultural machinery in the farmland, and poverty alleviation measures that "prescribe the right medicine" left a deep impression on him.
"I see that China's agriculture continues to develop, rural conditions continue to improve, farmers' lives are getting better and better, and more and more people are willing to return to the countryside to participate in construction."
Centralia believes that China has historically solved the problem of absolute poverty, which is one of the greatest achievements in human history and has made important contributions to the cause of global poverty reduction.
"Now, the Chinese government is further consolidating the achievements of poverty alleviation, comprehensively promoting rural revitalization, and promoting the modernization of agriculture and rural areas. The organic connection between poverty alleviation and rural revitalization has pointed out the direction for rural development."
Selvester Shafas, the former Polish Consul General in Shanghai and an expert on China issues, said that China has contributed Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions to the cause of global poverty reduction.
"China has continuously increased its support for the work of 'agriculture, rural areas and farmers', and promoted farmers' living standards to a higher level by improving rural infrastructure and promoting rural industrial upgrading, which is commendable."
Eduardo Regalado, an expert on China at the Cuban Center for International Political Studies, believes that China's comprehensive promotion of rural revitalization reflects the great importance it attaches to the work of "agriculture, rural areas and farmers".
"Rural revitalization can further improve the level of agricultural modernization, further release the vitality of rural development, and further enhance the happiness of farmers."
Effitt Jacobsen, a Dutch agricultural expert, said that China attaches great importance to the development of agriculture and rural areas to enhance the vitality and attractiveness of the rural economy.
"The development and progress of rural areas will promote a more balanced and sustainable development of China's economy."
"Farmers' lives are getting better"
The winner of the Chinese Government Friendship Award and a Hungarian agricultural expert, Karoly Grutko, has visited rural areas in western China for more than 20 years to help the local area introduce excellent cherry varieties and rootstocks, teach the farmers the techniques of cherry planting, and help the local people get rid of poverty. .
"When I first came to China, most of the farmers I met were relatively poor. Now, almost every family has a car, a computer, and everyone has a mobile phone. The farmers' lives are getting better and better."
Grootko believes that the Chinese government attaches great importance to the "three rural" work, actively promotes rural revitalization, continuously strengthens the construction of rural infrastructure, and promotes the integration of rural industries.
"Now, fruit farmers have turned cherry orchards into rural tourist attractions, enjoying flowers in spring, picking in autumn, and producing by-products related to cherries, using e-commerce platforms for sales, combining production, tourism and consumption, and achieved good benefits. ."
Megan Eves, the former editor of the world-renowned travel guide series Lonely Planet, visited local tea gardens while living in Anji, Zhejiang.
She found that the local government guides tea farmers to develop rural tourism, and foreign tourists who come to tea gardens can not only experience country houses, but also watch tea making and experience tea culture.
"This not only enriches the life experience of tourists, but more importantly, the tea farmers have benefited and the countryside has achieved great development."
Roysha, a professor at the Autonomous University of Puebla in Mexico, visited the countryside around Hefei, Anhui.
She noticed that the local government adopted the model of "poverty alleviation by industry + poverty alleviation by employment", using dairy farming and dairy product processing to drive employment and help farmers steadily increase their income.
Roysha said that governments across China have developed characteristic industries according to local conditions, created sustainable ways of increasing income for farmers, and "enhanced the ability of independent development in poverty-stricken areas, which is admirable."
Marcela Mousabeliu, executive director of the Albanian Institute of Globalization, visited rural areas in Fujian, where he found that the environment is beautiful and clean, the buildings are elegant and orderly, and the villagers live and work in peace and contentment.
Some villages have transformed traditional earth buildings that have lived for generations into scenic spots and developed rural tourism; some villages grow tea and sell them through e-commerce channels; some villages inherit handicraft skills and make exquisite handicrafts..." The revitalized, thriving development scene is impressive.”
"Effectively enhance farmers' sense of happiness and gain"
Patrick Nais, former Belgian ambassador to China and co-founder of the EU-China Joint Innovation Center, has lived for many years in Yuanzi Village, Wulong Town, Dongchuan District, Kunming City, Yunnan Province.
Over the years, the village's infrastructure has become more complete, the village appearance has become more tidy, and characteristic industries such as rural tourism and rural e-commerce have also been developed. The industries are prosperous, the environment is beautiful, and the farmers' lives are more prosperous.
Ness said: "The Chinese government's people-centered development philosophy combines rural revitalization with ecological protection, focusing not only on improving the quality of life of farmers, but also on building a beautiful and livable rural environment. The villagers have truly lived a moderately prosperous life. ."
Julio Rios, director of Spain's China Policy Observation Center, said that China has built a moderately prosperous society in an all-round way and is making strides toward its second centenary goal.
China's comprehensive promotion of rural revitalization will ultimately benefit the vast number of farmers.
"China has always adhered to the people-centered development philosophy and strived to ensure that the fruits of agricultural and rural development benefit farmers."
Shafash believes that rural revitalization can effectively narrow the gap between urban and rural areas in China and "effectively enhance farmers' sense of happiness and gain".
"For a political party that always puts the people at the center and seeks happiness for the people, there is only a continuous new starting point to ensure and improve people's livelihood." Mousabeliu said that China has comprehensively promoted rural revitalization and invested a lot of resources to strengthen rural infrastructure construction. , improve the appearance of the countryside, "fully release the development potential of the countryside and bring tangible benefits to the vast number of farmers".
In Jacobsen's view, China's achievements in promoting rural economic development and urban-rural integration have provided valuable experience for developing countries.
Enrique Dussel, director of the Center for Sino-Mexico Studies at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, said that China's steady progress towards common prosperity is of great significance not only to China itself, but also to other countries that are committed to narrowing the gap between the rich and the poor. .
(Reporters Dai Kairan, Chen Xiaohang, Xie Jianing, Yu Yang, Zhang Penghui, Zheng Bin, Xie Yahong, Xing Xue from our newspaper in Beijing, Madrid, Mexico City, Warsaw, Brussels, Rome, and London on March 17)